Enchantments of the Night
by scarletseraph666
Summary: The most important thing to me, even in the heat of battle, will be the one I love most." This was a promise that Sakura and the gang made. But can they keep it? Rated for suggestion, language, and NUDITY. (plus content) (better summary inside)
1. Promise of the Cherry Blossoms

MIDNIGHT ENCHANTMENT

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Cardcaptor Sakura. But CLAMP rocks for creating it. My OC is Mnemosyne Lethe, so she's completely mine, her origin just ties in with the characters that are not mine, which were also produced by CLAMP. crosses between manga and anime 

First off: Sakura and Syaoran have a baby in the future, and named her Nadeshiko Kinomoto-Li. Sakura used to magic to further advance the Sakura Cards so her daughter may use their magic. The only problem is, she accidentally produced the Destruction Card, which caused the cards to retreat with Nadeshiko back to when Sakura was just in high school, and the strange journey caused a block of their memories. Her present name becomes Mnemosyne Lethe.

Now there are two Clow Books. Lethe goes through the trouble of capturing the Star cards with the help of the new Guardian Beast of the Seal, Platinum Star. The future Yueh (Silver Moon) and Kerberos (Gold Sun) have been altered, too, and are both humans.

This is a side-story-like thing that I wrote because I made an account with and really had nothing to do with it, so I'm going to share my semi-talented writing skills with all you guys! Please be nice, this is my first time as a writer. Um… review, please?

The better Summary: Eriol came back from England to help solve Sakura's problems. No one expected he would fall in love with her problem, though. Pairings: Sakura·Syaoran, Eriol·OC, Touya·Yukito (for some reason…)?Tomoyo·Kaho? it's juicy, but not very lemon-lime.

PROMISE OF THE CHERRY BLOSSOM 

"…do you promise…?"

Under the school's great cherry blossom tree stood a few teenagers. There were four of them, two boys and two girls. The tallest was a young man with thin, soft midnight blue hair. It was previously cut straight around his eyebrows straightly, but that was a while ago. His hair grew unevenly, and the tips of his dark locks caught themselves in his short eyelashes, and sometimes in his periwinkle eyes. His eyes were brought out as a specific feature by his glasses, which also added the image of his intellectual person. He was wearing a tight black shirt, making it obvious that the 15-year-old was very slim, but muscular. He wore black pants made with some jean material. They needed to be held up by a leather black belt because he was so skinny. Around his neck, there was a small golden key on a thin chain. The key had a sun and moon on it.

Standing next to him was the other boy. This one had shaggy brown hair and amber eyes. He had on a button-up green shirt with big sleeves, which hung below his skinny waist. His blue jeans were faded and worn out. There was a hole in the left knee, which started to run both upwards and down. He had a sword in his hand, one that was at least three feet long with a Chinese symbol hanging from the end of the handle on a thin, thin rope.

The first girl had short auburn hair, shorter in the back and longer in the front, with short bangs ending at her eyebrows. Her eyes were a beautiful emerald color, full of joy and happiness. She was wearing a long pink shirt with red buttons and lining. Her shirt ended a little after her hips, and then she had matching pink shorts that went to her knees. The sleeves went to her knuckles. Around her neck was a necklace with a key of her own on it. There was a star surrounded by a pink circle with tiny, tiny wings.

The last girl was a younger image of someone long passed on. She was a petite girl, but had a full figure for such a young age. Her long, thin curly hair hung all the way down to her waist. It was lavender-colored. Her eyes were the same amber as the brown-haired boy's. She was wearing purple silk. She had a short-sleeved shirt with the length to reach her hips. And her matching pants folded lazily over her ankles and shoes. She held a crimson key in her hand with her delicate fingers. Inside the heart at the top was a tiny white gem.

The boy with shaggy brown hair put an arm around the girl with auburn hair lovingly. As his arm circled her waist, she leaned closer into him with cheeks of pink. "I promise," he said huskily. He kissed the girl he was holding on her temple, making her shudder just the slightest bit.

"Syaoran," she said nervously with a delighted smile. She hugged her lover tightly, satisfied with his words. "I promise, too."

"Eriol," the second girl said, a little shaken by the moment. She never looked at him directly; her eyes were locked with the petal-covered ground. The pink reminded her of the happy girl standing next to her. "Promise that, even if Evil comes again, you'll hold first and foremost onto the one you love?"

The boy with glasses, Eriol, smiled half-heartedly. "I promise," he said finally. He stuck his hands in his pockets and looked up at the blossoms in the cherry tree. His eyes were showing hurt, and mostly discomfort by keeping some sort of secret that needed to be told. His mind, for once, was clouded by denial.

"I promise…" said the petite girl slowly. She smiled, but behind it, deep, deep inside, she was very unwell, and most certainly upset. "I promise to keep the ones I love closest to my heart, even in the heat of battle." Unnoticed, a small, almost insignificant tear squeezed out of the corner of her eye. It was one of about a thousand that wanted to come out.

Syaoran led his lady away. "Sakura and I have to catch our plane now. Since it's summer vacation, she and I are going to visit my family in Hong Kong." Syaoran and Sakura slowly disappeared. Eriol looked at the same ground the young woman in front of him was staring at.

Eriol hesitated before he spoke. "I have to return to England. I'm no longer needed here; Sakura can get by on her own. Kaho will be waiting for me to arrive soon, anyway." He put his hand on the girl's shoulder. "Nadeshiko," he spoke softly.

"Lethe," the girl corrected. Even if her real name was Nadeshiko, she felt like she only wanted him to call her Lethe. Lethe was name that she had when she was the empty girl searching for a better purpose. _Shit,_ she cursed in her mind. She'd give anything for him to call her Nadeshiko, and _mean_ it. To her, calling her Nadeshiko was almost a privilege.

Again, Eriol looked hurt. "…Lethe," he corrected himself regrettably. He didn't want to say anything anymore. He saw that Lethe thrust her hand out for a shake. Slowly, he took it into his own. Once before, he'd kissed her hand while kneeling. But doing that right now suddenly didn't feel right, although he wanted to. Maybe he didn't… oh, well. Eriol shook her hand and walked away without a word.

But even without him saying 'good-bye', Lethe felt the pain stab her deeply. Never had she tried to embrace something so unbearable. She really wanted Eriol to stay. If her life was a mirror of Sakura's, then her mirror just shattered instantly. Lethe hurtfully dropped to her knees. Uncontrollable tears streamed warmly down her face. She knew she wouldn't be happy to her fullest anymore. Never again could she witness something very beautiful…

Love…


	2. The Cherry Blossoms Burn

THE CHERRY BLOSSOMS BURN

Years later…

_WHAP!_ Lethe hit the floor. Her lip began to bleed, and large drips came down her chin one at a time. They would stain her white shirt… if she still had it in one piece. Half of her blouse was on the other side of the room, already dirty from being dragged into the house through the sliding doors. Instead, the blood hit her barely-covered chest as it heaved up and down. Lethe was tired and out of breath.

There was an older man standing over her wearing only black pants. There were lightly bleeding scratches on his chest… Lethe's sad attempt to try to escape. He had messy, short, black hair, and dull grey eyes full of desire. He had a wicked grin on his face and he took one step closer to the 15-year-old shaking of fear.

"Get out," Lethe said boldly, glaring with contempt. "I don't want to do this," she continued. But she couldn't be obeyed. The young man at least 18 years of age walked straight up to her and picked her up by her sore shoulders. Pressing her against the wall, he kissed her roughly, much to her disgust.

The young man pulled away from her lips, feeling the same blood on his chin. "Are you gonna make me?" he asked with a snicker behind his tone. He selfishly led his own hand between her bare legs, groping sweet inches.

"Yamaku, go home!" Lethe said with a little more confidence. She was still silenced by yet another gross kiss. Yamaku sucked up the blood that fell on her chest. Then he licked up her chin, still picking up the blood with his tongue. He sucked graciously on her bleeding bottom lip. His hand was now up her skirt enough to start pulling down her panties.

Finally, Lethe grabbed the wrist to his pursuing hand. Her look of contempt only grew more with his unwanted advances. "I don't want this!" she said strongly. She felt her face heat up, making her close her eyes before any alterations confused her antagonist. Her fear and anger were making her magic flare up. Her fingers spread out on the wall behind her.

A knock was at her bedroom door. The noise made Yamaku back down. "Lethe?" came a bellowing, father-like voice. "Are you in there, hun?"

Yamaku looked at Lethe, almost scared. He turned around and hopped stealthily out her large window. Lethe opened her eyes. She opened the door to her room, but no one was n the other side. It was just a faint cloud of purple smoke.

"Just an illusion," she said, walking into her bathroom. No one lived with her. Jiji and Sun, the human forms of the Judges of the Clow Star Book, were sealed away. They were waiting until the next time they needed to be called upon, along with the Creature of the Seal, Platinum Star.

Sakura and Syaoran never came back from Hong Kong. Apparently, they had something more important to do than come back and live their desired lives. Lethe assumed it was all her fault. Eriol never called or wrote anymore, even though Lethe made some pathetic attempts to communicate with the young man.

In the bathroom, Lethe looked in the mirror at herself, and her swollen lip. Maybe she should have returned to the future when she had the chance. But she wanted to stay at the time. She thought people loved her. Carefully, the still-shaking girl tapped her bleeding lip with a warm, wet cloth. Why was everyone making her feel so solitary? Maybe she was mistaken. Maybe they really didn't like her, or want her around.

Stopping in melancholy, once again, Lethe was thinking of the once beautiful smiles she and her former friends used to share. The thoughts made her eyes water profusely. In anger, she stuck the mirror in front of her, shattering it in pieces. Her bloody knuckles stung instantly. In agony, she winced. She grabbed her hand and clutched it to her chest, putting the warm cloth over her hand. There were small pools and splashes of blood on the counter, along with the shattered glass that fell from the cracked face.

Lethe looked up at the mirror. Only half of her face appeared on it. In the realization that without anybody, she couldn't be whole, Lethe cried. She screamed out loud, but no one in her empty house could hear her. She hollered for help to anybody who cared, if anybody did. Her scream would only echo, though. No one loved her.

England…

Eriol put down a glass cup, one that reeked of alcohol. He was at the noble age of 17 now, but still in his mind, his maturity and wisdom could not be challenged. That is, if he wasn't in the state he was in now. His periwinkle eyes were clouded, just like his mind. Those clouded eyed fixed on a framed picture in front of him. He leaned down to peer closer.

It was a picture of himself, Sakura, Syaoran, Tomoyo, and Sakura's future daughter, Nadeshiko. They were just in junior high in the photo. He stared, half-dazed, at Nadeshiko. She was smiling. Her true smile, he thought. He thought her true smile was for him. In the photo, she and him were holding hands, fingers intertwined lovingly.

A young woman came into the room. Her hair was down to her waist, straight, and a magenta-ruby color. It was one of the guardians Eriol created to make him feel complete, Akizuki Nakuru. Her scarlet eyes stared at Eriol from behind with worry. "Master Eriol?" she asked, disturbing his silence.

"…what…?" he asked, but his words were slurred. The glass fell over in front of him, soiling his skin with small drops of his alcohol. His head was buried in his arms, and his shoulders began to heave up and down.

Nakuru walked over to her younger master. As she grew nearer, she realized that his awkward actions were because of his sudden sobbing. "Are you crying?" she asked, touching his shoulders gently.

"Excuse me," came another voice from where Nakuru once stood. There was a black panther that entered the room cautiously. His eyes were teal, and striking with a passion of fear. "The Master's lady, Kaho Mitsuki, has just left."

Nakuru looked down at the table Eriol was lying on. There was a facedown picture next to the one with him and all his friends. She picked it up curiously. It was an image of their family: Nakuru, the panther, Eriol, and Kaho.

"Did she say anything before she left, Suppi?" Nakuru asked the panther. She looked hopefully at the unknowing animal.

"She said she was done with Master Eriol," the panther replied. Suppi was his nickname. His real name was Spinel Sun. He walked silently on his four paws toward Eriol. "Is everything all right, Master?"

"I'm drunk," Eriol said boldly between sobs. He picked his head up, and he was indeed crying. He looked at the corner of his room, almost as if he was expecting someone to be there. "I want to go back to Tomoeda," he said suddenly.

Spinel and Nakuru were both very confused. "Tomoeda?" they both said in unison.


	3. Seeds of Seduction

FALLING SEEDS OF TIME

Sakura rolled over in a giant bed. Her action left her on top of her lover, Syaoran Li. It jarred him to a conscious state. With Sakura's hair tickling his cheek, he slid into a state of remembrance. Gleefully, he slid one of his warm hands down a bare, moist side of Sakura. No one knew besides them. Birth control… a broken condom… the sheets in ruffles… scratches on Syaoran's back… and it was only them who knew. Even with a shining, brilliant diamond ring on Sakura's wedding finger, still, no one knew. The unquestioned lies, the excuses, and the wonderful acting fought everyone from believing that Sakura and Syaoran had joined in numerous forbidden dances.

And he loved it.

No one could stop them either. He never needed the consult of his dreadful mother to do this. His sisters most certainly didn't even _want_ to know. Sakura didn't object, either. She was awakened many times when sleeping at home, when Yuki was sleeping over. Touya and Yuki weren't very good role models. The least they could do was leave the house to do that, instead of making her father, Fujitaka, leave and expect her not to hear it. The fact of being the only virgin running around the house made her nervous. So she decided to meet with Syaoran, and do an… activity… that would make her less tense to be hanging around the house with Yuki and Touya.

At least she was doing it the way normal pairing ended up. It sometimes sickened her to think of sleeping with another girl. She didn't have a problem with other people doing it, but a few times, when in gatherings with a whole bunch of her friends, they would try to dare her to kiss another girl, or grope her. Truth or Dare was a fun game, but sometimes Sakura felt like she just simply wanted to be a fly on the wall instead of a contestant.

Sakura's eyes fluttered open. When she saw Syaoran's face, his gentle, sleeping face, she smiled. He didn't look angry for once. He really needed to stop being so serious and glare at people all the time. Playfully, Sakura set herself on top of Syaoran and began to kiss him passionately.

Syaoran was surprised before he began to reply her advancements. When she started to kiss him down his neck, he breathed the breath he missed when she kissed him first. "Again?" he inquired, but yet he wouldn't object.

"I love you so much," Sakura replied between kisses. And with that, Syaoran took her waist, flipping her so he was on top. She giggled when he took charge like that. But then he did something unexpected. Syaoran slipped out from the bed, and while he began to stand, drew Sakura over his shoulder and carried her into the washroom. He set her down and reached into the shower stall.

Sakura grabbed him close to her against the wall while Syaoran turned on the water to the shower. Syaoran kissed her roughly down her neck and sucked at her shoulder for a moment. "It's ready," Sakura said, having her arm under the warm water. Syaoran picked her up, still kissing away at her neck and shoulders.

Once inside, Syaoran had Sakura pressed against the wall of the shower with the warm water running down his back. Syaoran's pursuit with his kissing, sucking, and licking had reached one of Sakura's round treasures. He played lavishly with her nub, and Sakura's small gasps of pleasure rewarded him.

Sakura closed her eyes to enjoy the madness. Sparks of light leaked into her unseeing vision every time Syaoran intensified his attack or nibbled at her skin. Then a horrible noise echoed in Sakura's ears. IT was a glass-shattering scream, and a stinging pain shot through her chest, piercing any feeling of pleasure she held onto.

Syaoran doubled down, holding his ears as if being shot through the head. Sakura landed on top of him, holding onto him through the unexpected pain. There was a shrilling scream of a little girl. The girl sounded as if being murdered, or in some sort of horrible tragedy. Whatever it was, Sakura and Syaoran ached to be rid of the agony.

When it suddenly stopped, Sakura looked up as if she had just been exposed naked to an entire city. Her face was pale, and the extremity of fright in her expression couldn't be measured. While Syaoran opened his eyes finally, Sakura simply broke down on top of him, crying heavily on his shoulder. The experience they both shared in that moment was too much sorrow to bear. Sakura felt extreme guilt.

"…Nadeshiko…!" she sobbed. Syaoran comforted her, but at the same time, a tear or two escaped from his amber eyes.

Tomoeda…

In the back of a dance club, a few men in black clothing and shades gathered around Lethe as she walked towards the back door with a bag over her shoulders. One of them was black, while the other two were white. Each one of them looked like they could bench press Lethe, and even more.

"Lethe, baby!" said the black one, looking over his shades. "What in the world happened to you?"

Lethe forgot completely about the gauze wrap around her left arm. At first, she looked up unknowingly, her first mistake. She wanted to pass through with her head down so that no one would notice her bulging lip. Each security guard was now staring at her. They looked shocked. Lethe never came in looking physically weak. A few times she was exhausted because of homework or something, but not like this.

The black one whistled. "Damn, girl," he said, leaning in to examine her lip. "Who in their right minds would assault you? You're ten minutes late for your shift!"

Lethe tried to brush off the feeling of inferiority. "Sorry, Kingori," she said sort of pathetically. "I had… some troubles…"

One of the white men stepped closer to Lethe. "Little lady, you can just tell us _who_ this trouble is, and you know we'll give _him_ some trouble." He lightly punched Lethe's shoulder.

"Thanks, Vin," she said gratefully. She was quiet for a moment as a breeze went by. "Um… well, I sort of need help now," she admitted, lightly fiddling with her swollen lip.

Inside, the music was loud. There were wide-set tables with poles in the middle leading all the way up to the ceiling. Strobe lights and many colors scattered about the place. Dancing on the stages and with the poles were women 10 years older than Lethe at the least. They were all in revealing, black leather outfits, which occasionally would have a 20-dollar bill stuffed into them.

Some of the men were sleeping, either of inebriation or simply of boredom, no matter if the music was pounding and very loud. Others were leaning on the counter at the bar, glaring at their drinks in redemption. Morbid thoughts created by the liquor played with their thoughts. Some very 'clean'-looking men in suits came in just for a drink or two, but they stayed longer than predicted, and now looked as if they walked out of a dumpster.

Lethe peeked out from behind a curtain, hidden by the darkness in the corner. She looked out at all the men, and scarce women. Almost as if embarrassed, she turned around and looked behind the curtain.

"You think it'll work, right? Most of them are too intoxicated to really focus on my face, right?" Lethe flashed her questions with a deep stare at her helpers. Her outfit was jingling a little, but none could see what she was wearing in the darkness.

"Like a charm," Vin said, reaching forward as if holding something. Both of his hands fiddled at her earrings, as if putting something on them. "Now, get out there and work your magic, babe!" and with one good-luck slap on the butt, he sent Lethe out on the stage as the lights in the club went dark. The men in the audience cheered loudly, but their words were too slurred to understand.

A spotlight fell on top of Lethe, who was curled up in a bowing position on the floor. The light bounced off many of her accessories, like bracelets, anklets, and necklaces, which were mostly made of gold and decorated with gems of all sorts. Lethe's head slowly came up. There was black liner around her eyes, styled to make her appearance seem older than she really was. There was a veil attached to her earrings, acting like a transparent, lilac shield to hide any specific distinctions of her facial features.

In slow, seducing moves, Lethe made her way up on her feet. She was wearing a light purple strip of cloth wrapped continuously around her top half, but it covered only enough to be safe about exposure. The majority of the crowd hooted at her, yelling dirty remarks, and pleads of sexual desire. Her skirt didn't cover much, either. Her purple short shorts under a strip of cloth in the front and a piece of cloth the size of a towel around her behind were just enough to cover only her very essential parts. There wasn't a manhood in the room that didn't twitch seeing her moving in clothing like that so seductively.

Her many attractive bracelets were covering her wounded arm. Her anklets had jingling bells on them, producing a cry of attention every time she tapped her foot to the beat of the music. The music was still loud enough to hear from blocks away, but there was an Egyptian rhythm to it, making Lethe's appearance a significant part of the nightly routine.

When the beat picked up, Lethe began to sway her hips erotically. She grabbed onto a pole and caressed it up and down with her inner thigh, expressing orgasmic moaning. This only aroused more of the crowd. They cheered approvingly, whipping out 10s and 20s for the seductress.

And an unexpected member of Lethe's life was spotted in the crowd.


	4. Planting the Horror

PLANTING OF HORROR

Outside of the bar, a limousine stopped in front of the curb. The back door opened, and a young man stepped out. Hiiragizawa Eriol was at it again. At least being in the atmosphere of the foul alcohol would make him simmer in his sorrow. He wasn't wearing anything sophisticated, like usual. He was in a dress shirt, sure, but the white shirt was unbuttoned at the top. He had black pants on, which didn't look like anything someone would wear to a showy occasion.

Eriol shut the door behind him, and the car drove off. He stuck a handful of bills in his back pocket. Even if he wasn't really going to be drunk, at least he could get some action from the women in the club. As he walked toward the front door, he was surprised to see that there were no guards to check his ID. He made a fake one for no reason, even if they would believe his lie of being 18.

Cautiously, he stepped in. It was bright inside, the light glowing strongly from a spotlight on a dancer that the men seemed to fancy the most. There was a crowd of drunken men around a woman that Eriol could only see the legs of as she danced around her pole. Aimlessly, Eriol wandered. He found a seat at the bar, and sat down to watch from the sidelines.

"Anything I can get yuh, kid?" asked the bartender.

Eriol turned around almost shocked. It was a perfect opportunity, but instead of going along with it, Eriol blurted, "I'm only 17, sir. I can't drink."

The man laughed at Eriol. "Kid, do you know why there was no security at the front?" he asked. Already knowing Eriol's answer, he continued, nodding his head with a smirk. "We don't give a shit how old you are. As long as you pay up, we'd be happy to serve you."

Eriol was now shocked.

The man gestured toward the crowd of men in the center of the room. "You probably already realized, even though you can't see, but there's someone dancing for those men," he said, matter-of-factly. "You can't see her to judge, but she ain't of legal age, either. She's the best dancer this place has, but she's the youngest. She's just 15 or 16 or somewhere in between, I can never remember."

Eriol stared at the group of men, seemingly interested. The tender kept talking.

"The closest woman to her age is about 7 years older than she is." As he was cleaning a glass with a cloth and chewing his gum, he chuckled. "We told her it was some serious business to get into this kind of place, but she wanted to work here more than any of the other women. Said something about, 'having no place for her heart to live,' so she chose to exist here, getting this place a great reputation on the down low.

"She gets paid an awful lot of money, too. Her smallest sum of tips she collected in two hours was 160." He coughed hoarsely for a moment. But he kept talking to Eriol. "Girl shares everything with the staff 'round here, almost like we're the family she never had. Even with all the attention she gets, even if she can have any man in this room, and some women, too… she remains a virgin. It's a wonder why no one's raped the girl yet."

Eriol got a strong urge to hit the man, even though the talk was about some girl he never knew. He turned around and ordered a drink, putting the money on the counter. He waited, looking around, and noticing the unconscious man seated beside him. It made Eriol feel the unwanted urge to puke, even though he himself was in that state a few times.

Lethe wiggled her hips as she walked backwards, away from the disgusting stench of alcohol. Each whiff came out of those men's mouths when they shouted and hollered at her to give them more, or remove a piece of clothing. She stared them down like dogs as she walked farther and farther away. Then one in particular caught her eye. Right in the middle, there was a young man who wasn't trying to smother her or touch her desperately. The familiar, ill presence of Yamaku entered Lethe's gut that sensed dread.

Yamaku apparently noticed that she found him in the crowd. He cocked a smile at her, staring her down with cold black eyes. All the lights went out. The crowd roared again. The music beat only to a bass guitar techno beat. The background of the stage was lighted dimly with an off-pink color. The silhouettes of more dancers came onto the stage, and everyone cheered to the sounds of chains being dragged across the floor.

Lethe's dark figure was in the center, and the others walked towards her. When she put one of her arms up, it was clasped with a cuff leading to the ceiling with a long chain. Then the other was cuffed. The chains began to tighten, and the length shrank with each passing minute. Lethe's hands were forced gently above her head, and off to the sides, so everyone could clearly see that she was chained.

Then everyone's attention was caught by another dark figure in the corner. She cracked a whip loudly. The crowd cheered. With each step, the figure cracked the whip again. A few of the men began to chant, "Whip! Whip! Whip! Whip!"

The woman holding the whip leaned discreetly into Lethe's ear. "You sure you wanna go through with this, hun?" she asked. She was a thin black woman, curved gently with long legs and satisfying features. No one could hear her but Lethe, due to the uncontrolled shouting.

When Lethe nodded her head, the woman cracked the whip to arouse the crowd. "Sweetie, this thing hurts like a bitch!" she tried to persuade Lethe to change her decision. Still, no one could hear her but Lethe.

Lethe's eyes widened a little. That feeling in her gut tightened profusely, causing an urge to puke. Something dreadful was taking place. Her vision changed. Her magic was giving her an ability to track down the threat as if by the heat of someone's body.

In the darkness, there were outlines of people's bodies, and their figures were filled with orange and yellow colors in her eyes. There was someone off to the side who was a particular interest, though. His aura was a gentle blue color, and it made her feel calm inside. His aura had a peculiar awkward feeling to it, though. Before the thought of this person being a magic bearer went completely through her thought process, Lethe looked directly ahead of her where she saw someone pulling a gun from his pocket.

"Down!" Lethe barked, tripping the older woman standing next to her. A bullet zoomed between her and where the black woman once stood, hitting the screen in the back. Everyone screamed horridly. Sparks flew from the electronics behind the screen that the bullet penetrated. The sparks burned small holes in Lethe's clothing, as if they couldn't be revealing enough.

Everyone was ducking, except two particular people. Lethe only focused on one, though: Yamaku, the threat. He was holding the gun, aiming it at Lethe. She smirked, as if enjoying everyone fleeing and screaming. The club lost half of the crowd in an instant.

"Get lost!" Lethe ordered the woman next to her. The woman was just getting up, trying to collect herself from the fall. When she saw the gun, she instantly screamed frightfully. Another bullet was shot, searing the woman's neck, and nicking her vital veins. Before she could get her hand over the wound from the shock, blood was already all over the place, and she had lost enough blood to die, anyway.

Lethe was in a state of panic. Her face was as white as a sheet. She slowly switched her fright-filled gaze at Yamaku. Yet again, he was happy with his damage. What a time to be strapped in chains. He picked out his steps carefully… Lethe was surely doomed. The staff was instructed to flee like everyone else unless told otherwise by a gunshot.

Again, Lethe could feel her fear magic her magic flare up instantly. She tried to control it, though. She couldn't expose herself as a freak! This burden of having magic was too powerful to withstand.

The gun in Yamaku's hand suddenly began to melt. He looked at it as if it was some sort of alien, dropping it instantly. "What the fuck!" he exclaimed. He glared at Lethe. She didn't do it, though, which she was surprised about. In anger, Yamaku jumped up onto the stage and began to walk swiftly and furiously at Lethe. His eyes screamed with hatred and lust.

Then a loud _THUD!_ made Lethe jump a little. Yamaku stopped in his tracks with a vacant expression. As he slowly dropped to his knees, Lethe noticed a figure standing behind him, holding a tall staff in his hand. Yamaku landed on his face. The figure behind him scoffed in satisfaction. The tall staff gave off a dim glow.

Lethe felt the chains around her wrists turn into a jelly-type solid. She easily slipped her hands out of the cuffs, and they dropped carelessly in her lap and beside her. Even though the figure gave off a friendly aura, Lethe was petrified. Even so, she took his offered hand and stood up in front of him as he stepped toward her. She caught a familiar whiff of cologne, making her close her eyes lightly, as if entranced by the scent. It brought tears to her eyes, but not because the scent was too strong for her, which it wasn't.

It was Eriol standing in front of her. His staff changed back into a small key as Lethe rested her head on his broad shoulder. She didn't feel any shame or redemption. She felt nothing, really, except for the need to cry. When he tried to take hold of her hand, she winced a little. It was her left hand, which was already sore from the cuffs.

Lethe broke down. She put her hands over Eriol's shoulders and behind his neck. She buried her face in his chest, sobbing lightly. When he touched her back, he could feel the burn marks from the flying sparks that hit her bare back. Some were worse than others, causing some slight bleeding. She didn't care, though. She just cried.


	5. Roots of Amiss

ROOTS OF AMISS

Lethe never realized that she fell asleep on Eriol's shoulder. She was shaken from her experience, and who wouldn't be? She saw one of the staff members get killed before her very eyes. She was half-covered in blood from the dead dancer, too. And she almost exposed her magic in front of some total sex-driven maniac only interested in her because of her body. She never knew how she did it, but for some reason, being around Eriol, whom she hadn't been around in a few _years_, made her feel very calm. Every one of her fears simply faded away. She knew suppression never really aided her in the past, but this time, she really didn't care.

It was almost like, in the past, she only _thought_ she was suppressing her emotional burdens. This time, she didn't even think twice before they simply became diluted in her mind. Eriol was the precious angelic figure that wiped her slate clean of any feeling at all. Every moment she thought of him, it was like being emotionally numb. She couldn't think about anything in particular, she couldn't be sad or happy, and regrets were a mystery to her. She never felt like this before with Eriol, but maybe it was because he hadn't seen her in the longest of time, and him suddenly appearing as his shining hero, like she used to imagine him as a younger girl, made everything change very drastically, and yet not at all.

It was an indescribable feeling. Lethe loved this feeling, though. It was somewhat familiar, and somewhat very foreign. Did she _love_ him? No! She couldn't…! Could she…? She forbid those emotions from striving within her all too long ago. When Eriol left, he took part of her with him; a part of her that he didn't know he stole. When Sakura and Li left, they took a part of her with them, too, and they didn't know either.

In order to fill her void heart, Lethe tried different ways of replacing the feelings that were impossible to restore. Stupid girl… _What was it I was looking for, again?_ Lethe asked herself. _What was it that I lost all those years ago when Eriol left? Eriol? Eriol…?_

Lethe's eyes fluttered open just as darkness was slowly taking over the reality of her consciousness. Someone was closing a door. Lethe didn't know where she was, but she could sense that the soft fragrance of Eriol was slowly fading away. She sat up instantaneously.

"Eriol…!" she said, although in a whisper. Alas, the door immediately stopped closing. Instead, the figure at the doorway stepped into the room Lethe was in. He closed the door behind him, and Lethe couldn't see him anymore. But she could hear him coming closer. She could definitely feel him.

Slowly, Lethe made her aching body shift on the bed she was lying in. She put her legs over the side of the bed in hopes of standing up. But Eriol reached her first. He even precluded her from standing. His warm hand touched her leg. Her… bare leg… Lethe touched herself, trying to figure out what she was wearing. It wasn't much. It was probably just her underclothes and a big shirt.

Eriol kneeled before her. He was looking at her with concerned eyes. He licked his dry lips and swallowed to clear his throat. But he never spoke to her for some reason. He never said anything, or even tried to. Cautiously, he put two of his fingers on Lethe's swollen lip. A warm, soft light developed within the contact. They could see each other a little more clearly.

Eriol's face was close. Lethe's lip was being warmed by the light, and slowly diminishing its size and pain. The injury went away. The light was fading, too. Just before it went out, Lethe saw Eriol's face drawing closer slowly. Both of them sucked in a breath before contact. There was an instant tingling in Lethe's stomach. She tried to touch it, but her hand lay only on the thin material of her nightgown.

Eriol cocked his head to steal more of Lethe's breath. His demands deepened, making it hard for Lethe to remain calm. The tingles were making her shake, but only a little. Just like him, she wanted more from the kiss. Her shaky hand reached for Eriol's shoulder. Once it touched, Eriol's hand came to cradle the fragile instrument. With it, he was able to turn Lethe' body. While one hand was holding hers, pulling her in the direction to turn, the other found its way down her side, and wrapped slowly around her waist.

Somehow, Lethe found herself on top of Eriol. She needn't hold herself up. Her kissing was all Eriol wanted… for now. He cupped her cheeks with his hands, pulling her lips closer still. He traced the side of her mouth with one of his thumbs while drawing her head back. Lethe kissed his thumb lovingly. She propped herself on her elbows, grabbing his hand with both of hers, continuing to kiss his digits.

While she did that, Eriol's unnoticed hand crawled discretely up her gown. It roamed over her soft, tight, petal-like flesh, meeting every scar the girl had. Some were small, and others were so big and hot, Eriol could almost imagine the blood running down her delicate curves. He skillfully plucked apart the fastener on her bra. With one of the straps out of place, the front dangled lazily, covering nothing to keep away from his curious hands.

Eriol's fingers danced ever so lightly on Lethe's supple chest. He traced circles around the center of one treasure, making her nipple erect slowly. His thumb played with the nub. With the new feeling, Lethe shuddered. She rested her head on Eriol's collarbone, but still had her chest off of him so he could explore even more. With each new inch caressed, Lethe's breath got heavier on Eriol's chest.

Eriol flipped her over, gently straddling her with his hips. There was a distinct heat between his legs, pressing mildly against her thigh. His thin fingers started playing with the lacy top of her gown, lowering different parts, and then letting the folds straighten themselves out. He traced her collarbone outwards, finding the straps to her gown and pushing them over her shoulders.

Lethe's eyes were closed. There really was no use for them to be open—it was too dark to see anything. She simply lay there, enjoying the warmth of Eriol's touches. She felt his warm lips gently kiss her cool neck. Heat radiated from his kiss, and even more so as he moved along her collarbone. Gently, he nipped playfully at her collarbone with his teeth, and then sealing the feeling with a juicy, sloppy kiss.

Eriol stopped momentarily to remove his glasses. He folded them and set them down on the bedside table, invisible in the darkness. Gradually, he got back into his lustful phase. While Lethe's slender fingers were sliding easily through Eriol's soft hair, he was busy lowering her top. The straps of both her gown and underling were off, and Eriol could expose her chest anytime he wanted. But he intentionally teased her.

His light kisses made their way down to the top of her gown. Leisurely, Eriol lowered her gown only a couple centimeters per minute. He took his time covering the surface of her chest with soft butterfly kisses in lines. As he proceeded to lower his kisses, they intensified.

Once Eriol was close to the center of Lethe's chest, his kisses were very hot. With the silky thin material of Lethe's gown completely off, Eriol's hands and kisses were the only things keeping Lethe's skin warm. She didn't like the cold feeling, so she silently begged for his warm attention. He gladly acknowledged, fussing with her skin using his lips.

His warm hand caressed one of her thighs gently at first. In response to the attention, Lethe's leg bent, allowing Eriol's fingers to explore the underside. She shuddered when his hand groped roughly. Eriol's lips curled into a smile as he continued to kiss her overwhelmingly.

Lethe's fingers grabbed the cloth of Eriol's shirt. He was teasing her too much. Not only was he not giving her the pleasure she wanted him to with his kisses, but also, the bulge in his boxers was big enough to make Lethe want its attention as well. As Eriol bucked his bulge against her inner thighs, making a small gasp escape from Lethe's lips. Eriol silently snickered.

Her hands started to pull at his shirt. As the cloth moved up his body, more of his skin exposed itself to the darkness and the tips of Lethe's fingers. It wasn't long before her fingertips were running over goose bumps. To accommodate, Eriol sat up and propped himself on his knees to remove his own shirt. By doing this, his bulge further teased Lethe. His shirt was off, he threw it to the ground, but Eriol was still upright, letting Lethe soak in his happiness. He took hold of the rippled material of her nightgown, bunched up at her waist, and slowly pulled it up over her head, and off her body.

Slowly, Eriol put his hands gently on Lethe's tiny waist. His fingers were spread, and spread more so as he slowly led his fingers towards her chest. Lethe couldn't take it anymore. She sat up, pressing her chest against his, and pulled his head into a sweet kiss. Eriol put his hands on her shoulders, taking her closer into his grasp. He lifted her enough for her to prop herself up on her knees like him.

Lethe put her arms over his broad shoulders, deepening the kiss as he did with his tongue. His hands ran slowly down her sides. When they got to her waist, he pulled her in, mentioning to her, yet again, that his manhood was alive. The gesture made Lethe break the kiss to take in a deep breath. She tilted her head back as Eriol started to kiss down her neck. His hands continued to travel down her sides, and his fingers walked carelessly over the sides of her panties and down to her thighs.

Both Eriol and Lethe leapt in fear when a thundering boom sounded off outside. Lightning? Apparently, neither of them heard the rainstorm begin while being lost in ecstasy. The flashes lit up the room momentarily, and then another loud crash ensued. Lethe held tightly onto Eriol. Her eyes were wide and focused outside, where she saw a bolt of lightning strike in the distance.

Eriol threw his head back and laughed. Lethe was holding onto her so tightly, and shaking of fear as she did so. He casually waved his hand at the curtains for the window. They pulled themselves shut, and the room was engulfed in darkness again. The direction of Lethe's breath changed, and he knew she was facing him.

Lethe was slowly settling down. They were just kneeling there before each other for a few minutes. The loudness of the lightning slowly became unimportant. Lethe was still clutching Eriol, who put his forehead against hers lovingly. One of his arms encircled her waist protectively, and the other remained by her thigh.

Slowly, Eriol pushed Lethe back down onto the bed. He grabbed the warm blankets and threw them over himself and Lethe. He kissed her tenderly. Lethe simply placed herself in Eriol's hold. Too bad… the lightning broke the moment. As Lethe slowly fell into the most gentle sleep she's had in her life, she wondered what would happen if she didn't let the lightning interrupt her?

Lethe looked up at Eriol, even if she really couldn't see him. With the dim lighting of the lightning, she stressed to catch a glimpse of his periwinkle eyes. She could feel him staring at her. Gently, she pecked him on the lips. When she pulled back, Eriol's hold kept her close to his face.

"Stay with me…" Lethe whispered softly.

Eriol replied with a kiss. Once Lethe's eyes closed to receive the kiss, they never opened again for the night. She was kissing him tenderly as his hand played with her already bare chest under the blankets. Both of them were soon sleeping, regardless of the storm outside.


End file.
